Burlington Junction Railway

What Burlington Junction Railway does

Burlington Junction Railway (BJRY) is a privately held, family-owned short-line freight railroad founded in 1985 by Steven Hoth after acquiring three miles of track out of the Rock Island bankruptcy in Burlington, Iowa. The company operates industrial switching rail lines, transloading facilities, and locomotive servicing shops across eight cities in three states — Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri — with reciprocal switching agreements to all four major Class I railroads (BNSF, Union Pacific, Canadian National, and Norfolk Southern). Its three core service modules are switching services (in-plant switching, unit train assembly, on-demand car-to-train switching), transloading (truck-to-rail and rail-to-truck transfer at company sites, including Mississippi River rail-water transfer), and locomotive servicing (preventative maintenance, FRA inspections, mechanical troubleshooting, wheel re-contouring, component replacement, and painting). The company also operates the City of Rochelle Railroad (CIR), a 1,000+ acre rail-served industrial park in Illinois, and provides rail car storage capacity at Rochelle (200+ spots, temperature-controlled) and Fenton (800+ spots).

BJRY's business model is sales-led B2B, with quote-based pricing for industrial customers ranging from small family businesses to large global corporations. Revenue streams include transaction-fee-based switching and transloading services, professional-service fees for locomotive repair and maintenance, and storage fees for rail car capacity. Commodities handled span wallboard, lumber, bulk liquids, dry bulk, machinery, steel rebar, fertilizer, and specialty oversize shipments. Distribution is direct: services are delivered at customer facilities by locally-based crews or at company-operated transload and industrial park sites. The company has been recognized three times by BNSF Railway as Shortline of the Year and received the BNSF Premier Transloader designation, establishing credibility with Class I partners and shippers. BJRY remains under Hoth family ownership following the 2021 leadership succession, with JoEllen Hoth as Chairman of the Board, Peter Hoth as President and CEO, and Andrew Hoth handling Corporate Relations; A.J. Martin serves as General Manager.

Name

Burlington Junction Railway

Legal name

Burlington Junction Railway

Website

https://bjryrail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Burlington Junction Railway is a family-owned short-line freight railroad operating since 1985 across eight cities in Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. It provides industrial switching, truck-to-rail transloading, locomotive repair, and rail car storage services connecting to all four major Class I railroads.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short-line Freight Rail Services

NAICS

Short Line Railroads (482112), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (48821)

SIC

Railroad Switching & Terminal Establishments (4013)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLADACAI

Short Line & Regional Railroads (General Merchandise)

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Transportation (Air, Maritime, Rail, Trucking)/Rail Freight Operators (Class I/Regional/Short Line)

SECONDARYTLAJAFAF

Rail Terminal Switching, Shunting & Yard Locomotive Services

Transportation & Logistics/Transportation Infrastructure & Operations (Roads, Rail Networks, Traffic Management)/Intermodal & Freight Rail Yards / Terminals Operations

SECONDARYTLADACAJ

Industrial & Terminal Railroads (Plant/Port Switching)

Transportation & Logistics/Freight Transportation (Air, Maritime, Rail, Trucking)/Rail Freight Operators (Class I/Regional/Short Line)

Keywords

• Short-line railroad
• Freight rail switching
• Transloading services
• Locomotive repair maintenance
• Rail car storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Switching Services: Rail switching services for industrial customers, including in-plant switching, unit train assembly/disassembly, and on-demand switching services from single rail car to unit train quantities.
2. Transloading Services: Truck to rail and rail to truck transloading, offering either full logistical support with transload operations or just site access for customer/contractor operations.
3. Locomotive Repair and Maintenance: On-site and shop-based locomotive repair services including preventative maintenance, inspections, troubleshooting, parts replacement, and painting.
4. Rail Car Storage: Rail car storage services at locations such as Rochelle (200+ spots) and Fenton (800+ spots), with temperature-controlled options available.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Burlington Junction Railway is a short-line freight railroad that provides industrial rail switching, truck-to-rail transloading, and locomotive repair and maintenance services. Operating since 1985 across Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri, BJRY connects industrial customers to all major North American Class I railroads (BNSF, Union Pacific, Canadian National, Norfolk Southern) via reciprocal switch and handling carrier agreements. The company handles commodities including wallboard, lumber, bulk liquids, dry bulk, machinery, steel rebar, and specialty oversize shipments.

Product overview

Burlington Junction Railway (BJRY) is a short-line freight railroad operating since 1985, providing flexible and reliable shipping and receiving services by rail across Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri. The company offers three core service modules: Switching Services for industrial rail operations including in-plant switching and unit train handling; Transloading Services for truck-to-rail and rail-to-truck transfers; and Locomotive Servicing for repair, maintenance, and painting. These services handle commodities including wallboard, lumber, bulk liquids, dry bulk, machinery, steel rebar, and specialty oversize shipments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Switching Services Industrial switching rail operations including in-plant switching, assembling and disassembling unit trains, unit train arrival and departure, and multiple switches per day. Provides rail crews, locomotive power, and assistance with rail service issues with connecting carriers, ranging from single rail car to unit train quantities for customers from small family businesses to large global corporations.
• Transloading Services Truck to rail and rail to truck transload services offered at multiple operating locations. Provides full logistical support with the transload operation, or alternatively, provides just a site for customers or contractors to perform transload functions themselves. Includes fork lifts, outdoor and indoor storage, augers, crane service, and Mississippi River rail-water transfer capability.
• Locomotive Servicing Full-service locomotive repair and maintenance offered either on-site or in the company's shop. Includes preventative maintenance, FRA required inspections, mechanical troubleshooting, on-site wheel re-contouring, component replacement and repair, painting services, and parts supply (new, reconditioned, and used). Serves railroad operators needing FRA-compliant maintenance and emergency repair support.
• Rail Car Storage Rail car storage services available to shippers and railroad operators at Rochelle (200+ spots, temperature-controlled options available) and Fenton (800+ spots). Storage supports shippers needing to stage rail cars between loading and transport movements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 286,000 lbs gross rail car weight capacity at Burlington location
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• BNSF RailwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal switch carrier and handling carrier relationship at multiple locations (Burlington, Quincy, Montgomery, Rochelle). BJRY connects to BNSF network enabling customers to access Class I rail services.
• Union Pacific RailroadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal switch carrier at Rochelle and Troy Grove locations. BJRY connects to UP network providing additional Class I railroad access for customers.
• Canadian National RailwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReciprocal switch carrier at Le Mars, Iowa location. CN connection enables BJRY customers to access Canadian National rail network.
• Norfolk SoutherncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandling carrier at Quincy, Illinois location. NS connection provides access to Norfolk Southern rail network for Midwest customers.
• City of Rochelle Railroad (CIR)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBJRY operates the City of Rochelle Railroad, a rail-served industrial park with 1,000+ acres of development sites. Located at crossroads of I-39 and I-88 with access to BNSF and UP.
• Le Mars Public StorageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides rail-served warehousing and additional transload services at Le Mars, Iowa location for BJRY customers.
• Midwest Controlled StorageminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWarehousing partner at Quincy, Illinois providing additional storage capacity for BJRY rail customers.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BurlingtonJunctionRailway
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burlington-junction-railway

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burlington Junction Railway